Memory Verse: Hosea 12:6 – “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.” Icebreaker: When we were children, we all had dreams of incredible skills. If you could be famous for one skill or ability, what would you want to be known for? Why? 1. Martin Luther taught that the Christian life should be a life of repentance. In what way is the recognition of sinfulness crucial to the message of the Gospel? Why is repentance necessary to saving faith in Jesus? What happens if a person doesn’t recognize their sin? 2. Israel looked like it was in great shape as a nation from the outside, yet their hearts were sick. They continued to place their hope in dangerous political alliances rather than God. How were the alliances with Assyria and Egypt a false promise of hope? What are some false promises of hope people commonly look to today? How do these false promises typically end? Digging Deeper: James 1:17 tells us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…”. How can even a good gift of God become a false source of hope? 3. The Prosperity Gospel is not a new phenomenon. Even back in the time of Hosea, Israel considered their material wealth to be evidence of favor with God (see Hosea 12:8). What causes us to believe good outcomes prove God’s favor? In what way do good outcomes justify the actions taken to arrive there? Go further: How did Israel’s actions in Hosea 12:7 illustrate the false promise of self-preservation? What are some ways people pursue self-preservation at all costs today? 4. Jacob, before God changed his name to Israel, was best known for deception and injustice. When he came to the end of himself upon returning to his homeland, he famously wrestled with God (Genesis 32:22-30). In Hosea 12:4, God met Jacob at Bethel. How does God meet us today when we are at our most broken and feeble? How does Jacob’s example provide the blueprint for Israel to return to God (consider Hosea 12:6)? Digging Deeper: How does Hosea 12:6 inform your understanding of repentance? How has the call to “wait continually for your God” changed for followers of Christ today? 5. Ephraim pursues the east winds (Hosea 12:1), hot dry winds from the Arabian Peninsula. Ephraim chose the hot winds rather than the cool, refreshing winds of the Mediterranean. How do we, Harvest Bible Church, have the same choice today? Where are we placing our hope? A big sign? A new building? A new Lead Pastor? How might these factors diminish our full trust in God? How can we put our full trust in God alone and pursue true confidence in the promises of God? Live It 1. What true promises do you need to trust in? Will you turn and repent from the false promises of this world? 2. Where are you practicing self-preservation? Where are you using good outcomes to justify sinful actions? 3. How can your small group hold you accountable to true repentance this week? .